Trends in healthcare point to patients leaning toward care at a lower cost, the most convenient location, and a declining interest in a patient-physician relationship. Because of this, many hospitals are facing low admission and having to merge with other hospitals to continue caring for patients. Large health systems must compete to win over patients from going to a retail clinic instead.

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Key topics:

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Hospital utilization has dropped every year for the past decade, despite the aging and graying population

Retail clinics are growing at a double-digit pace

Demand for patient-to-provider telemedicine services is exploding

Some hospital systems are not replacing out-of-date hospitals with new hospital buildings, but rather with a continuum of outpatient care.